ARENA: “Solid job. They did a solid job. Maybe at times our passing could have been a little bit better.”

(On Jose Villarreal’s play filling in for Landon Donovan…)

ARENA: “Jose did a good job. Still a young player and playing a game against team with some experience in the back [four] and obviously, they played him hard, they fouled us a lot and obviously had a player sent off because of that. He did a good job.

(On his overall thoughts on the game…)

ARENA: “We just weren’t good enough in the final third of the field, with the final pass or our look at the goal, and it made a difference in the game. We obviously got the one goal called back. I think the officiating was a little bit inconsistent at times. If that was a foul, then maybe Eddie [Johnson] doesn’t get his goal in the first half. I thought it was inconsistent and in a tight games like that, obviously those kinds of plays and calls are what decides the outcome.”

(On how Eddie Johnson ended up wide open on his goal…)

ARENA: “Omar was picked. That simple. He ran around 3 players. We didn’t play it right. That’s why he was wide open. We obviously corrected that in the 2nd half.

(On Franklin playing right back…)

ARENA: He’s been there for a while. I thought that he had a solid game.

(On Juninho’s goal…)

ARENA: “We’ve been waiting all year. On the night, we had a couple of good looks at the goal, and we didn’t force their ‘keeper into making a whole lot of saves. The final product on the night for us was poor, and it was obviously the difference in the game.”

(On the physicality of the game…)

ARENA: “A physical game and the referee decided in the first half not to call anything, and then in the second half, in the last 15 minutes, he called everything. It was a little bit inconsistent at that end, but having said that, it was a fair game that was hard fought between two good teams. What more can you say?”

(On the Galaxy being five points behind of first place with five games remaining…)

ARENA: “Do the math. Figure it out. You have to win games if your five points behind.”

CARSON, Calif – When asked about scoring his first goal of the MLS Regular Season, LA Galaxy midfielder Juninho had just one word—“finally.”

After all, the Galaxy has become used to Juninho hitting long range bombs or curling free kick goals, but this season, one had yet to come. The drought has been a frustrating one for the Brazilian, but during LA’s spirited 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC, he “finally” found the back of the net.

“It was a good shot because I saw the goalkeeper leave the side open,” said Juninho of his free kick goal in first half stoppage time. “I just did well and scored the goal, which is very important to me.”

As for his goal scoring celebration, which involved him putting the soccer ball inside his shirt, Juninho admits that he had to—after all, there will soon be a new addition to his family.

“My wife is four months pregnant and the baby will be born in February. My wife has been telling me to score a goal and make a celebration like that,” Juninho said. “It’s a boy and he’ll be named John Victor. I’m very happy and my wife is too. It’s great for the baby.”

Family aside, Juninho and the rest of the Galaxy will look to continue to climb the table as they find themselves in a peculiar spot, five points behind Seattle for the top spot in the Western Conference and four points ahead of missing the postseason altogether.

“It’s tough. If you look at the conference, we need to take points,” said the Brazilian. “It doesn't matter if it is home or away. Let’s look forward to the Champions League now and then we'll go into Portland looking for three points.”

CARSON, Calif. – A.J. DeLaGarza’s Washington, D.C. homecoming was cut short due to an elbow injury, but he’s determined not to allow the same thing to happen to his season.

DeLaGarza suffered a dislocated left elbow in the opening minutes of LA’s 2-2 draw against D.C. United, cutting short his return to D.C. after just 10 minutes.

“It’s a little bit unfortunate, just one of those things man,” said DeLaGarza, who is wearing a cast on his left arm to prevent movement. “It’s just unfortunate, I can’t even explain it, and it’s more upsetting that I haven’t been there in two years. Injuries happen and I guess it’s just frustrating that it happened there and so early. …It’s doing better, it’s back in its right spot so that’s good but it’s got to take time to heal and get better.”

Although DeLaGarza’s exit disappointed the more than 200 family members that he had in the stands at RFK, he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to return to the field before the end of the postseason. DeLaGarza has continued to be present at Galaxy training and is hopeful that he can return, particularly after missing out on the 2012 playoffs after suffering a left MCL sprain last September.

“I’m sure about three weeks they said, until it gets really healed,” said DeLaGarza. “Potentially it could pop back out within those three weeks then you got to start the process all over again so that’s why it’s in a cast right now so no setbacks can happen. …

“I don’t want to twice the playoffs two years in a row,” added DeLaGarza. “That’s my goal to rehab and we have five weeks left in the season so I can still run and do ball work and all that stuff. It’s just being ready when my arm is ready.”

“We are pleased to have a long-term agreement in place with Chris, who in a short period of time he has developed into one of the most respected executives in Major League Soccer,” Beckerman said to SI. “In addition to his tremendous soccer acumen and knowledge of the game, Chris has quickly acquired an extensive knowledge of our business, and is fast becoming one of the more well-rounded leaders in our sport.”

CARSON, Calif. – With Saturday’s clash against Seattle Sounders FC quickly approaching, the LA Galaxy are still playing the waiting game when it comes to the status of forward Landon Donovan.

Donovan picked up a left ankle sprain during the first half of LA’s 2-2 draw with D.C. United last week and was not available for Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League match against Isidro Metapán. Following the club’s penultimate day of preparation for the Supporters’ Shield leading Sounders, Arena provided a brief update on the 31-year-old forward.

“Donovan’s situation is to be determined at this point,” said Arena. “He was out a little bit [at training] today.” UPDATE: Bruce Arena told a group of Seattle-based reporters that the Galaxy are " planning on him playing” against the Sounders.

However, defender Todd Dunivant is hopeful that Donovan can pass his fitness test as he races to be ready for Saturday’s Western Conference clash.

“He’s always a guy that you can use. He’s a quick healer, I don’t want to jinx him, but I wouldn’t count him out.”

The play of the LA Galaxy’s contingent of young forwards has been a major talking point during the 2013 MLS Regular Season and on Wednesday, another one of those young attackers was honored by MLSsoccer.com.

CARSON, Calif. – When the LA Galaxy take on C.S. Cartaginés next Wednesday for a chance to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, they’ll have to do so without rookie center back Kofi Opare.

Making his second consecutive CCL start, Opare put forth a solid performance—albeit with a few scattered errors—as LA kept the clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Isidro Metapán. The rookie’s finest moment came in the waning moments of the game when he was able to make a clutch last ditch tackle of Metapán’s Nicolas Munoz as he attempted to get free in the Galaxy penalty area.

But Opare won’t be able to take the field next week in Costa Rica after picking up a yellow card in the 47th minute for a soft tackle that referee Hugo Cruz believed warranted a caution. Although he’ll be unable to participate next week, Opare is allowing the result to give him solace.

“That is tough, but the most important thing is that we got the three points,” said Opare. “I’d do it again if it meant us getting the three points.”